The effect of intra-articular colchicine on the knee joint of the rat.

The effect of intra-articular injections of colchicine on the normal joint of the rat was investigated. Colchicine in varying doses was injected into the knee, while the contralateral knee was used as a control. Colchicine mainly affected articular cartilage, causing degenerative changes that appeared to be dose-dependent. It is assumed that colchicine produces an increase in the rate of synthesis of collagenase, which alters the nature of articular cartilage, making it more susceptible to wear and tear and thus producing the lesions of early osteoarthritis.